We are so excited that you have decided to look into the life of the Normal Beaty Bunch. We hope that these words will encourage you to fall passionately in love with Jesus and follow him with your whole life and heart!
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Tuesday, July 11, 2023

The Devil made me do it!

N seems to be doing 'ok' then his face gets cloudy, and he gets an angry/mean/confused look on his face. Sometimes he goes to sleep, sometimes he goes outside, or walks to the street - refusing to 'hear and obey' when we ask him to put the rock down, or come to the porch.  

Today - we cleaned up lunch and he sat back beside me to work on schoolwork.  He stopped, and got that strange look on his face.  I drew a '?' on his paper - and he filled it up with details.  Let me explain the picture (in the order he drew it - and as he shook his head yes to me guessing what he drew.  He used no words through all of this)

He wants to run out the front door, and get hit by a car in the street.  (in the middle of the page) 
That would make him "RIP" .  Here he is in a coffin in the ground with a "RIP" headstone. (above the middle)  
I asked him how he got the idea to go into the street, and he drew the train on the right middle, with the evil laugh ("mewhaha").  He sees the nightmare trains when he is in bed at night (moon) and it scares him.  (He's talked about these trains for a few days)

I asked if the trains are something he thinks about...his eyes panicked and he shook his head NO!  I said do you see them on the ceiling?  He shook his head YES YES YES!!

He drew that would make Mom and Sarah cry - and the Devil so happy. (on the bottom)
At the top - it would make God sad, and would break God's heart.

I took a second piece of paper - and drew a very strong God with 3 muscles on each arm (don't laugh!) and then the nightmare train - 'WEAK'.  (Noah filled in the smoke!) 
I drew the devil confused - with one weak muscle in each arm.  
Noah drew the Adam and Even - in the garden - that made God sad.  He drew the heart- that God loved Adam and Eve anyway.

Then, he went back to the first piece of paper and  beside the question mark that I drew - he drew the Devil again.  The devil is making him scared.  He said he can hear the Devil.  

I asked how I could help him.  He wrote 'text Sarah'.  Poor kiddo!

Monday, July 10, 2023

Such a short honeymoon


S has been home just over a week.  He was dropped on our doorstep at 1am Saturday morning (July 1).  He was excited, scared, happy, sad, frightened, relieved, anxious, etc.  Probably every feeling possible was in his little heart!


Saturday was a 'get to know you again' day and a Cornbelter's game.  Sunday - CHURCH!  We were all excited to have him back and to go to church together.


The first week was busy.  S needed to get back into the routine of school.  We do homeschooling all year around - so it was 'back to the grind'!  



Also, B helped S do his job charts.  I'm not sure either boy was excited about this partnership!!  It did make the rest of us smile a LOT!  



When the jobs were done, and the school (mostly) finished for the week, next was the traditional weekend movie night.   S requested to watch 'The Chosen", so we did that plus a Disney movie!  



THEN, the honeymoon ended!  First, a couple of yelling fits (followed by a quick apology!) 


Next, 'mr.sticky.fingers' came back.  Silly stuff: a comb, some D-rings, soap, spray paint.  He started going off on his own - (against his safety plan)...but always followed with 'I'm sorry. I'm trying, it's just hard."



THEN:  I find a tablet in his room, hidden under his towel.  "It didn't matter, no one was using it!"  So, as we start to talk through his safety plan - and how there are rules to follow, I find another very
disturbing situation!


We find the trim from the window in his bedroom. It was laying on the window sill.  He pulled it off Saturday night - and we found out Sunday night. 

The glass on the left side is now exposed.  Andrew most likely will try to caulk it, just to keep the glass in and keep Samuel safe from getting cut (or cutting himself).  Again "I'm sorry Mom & Dad. I wasn't in my right mind. I'm so sorry. I messed up.  I goofed."

FRUSTRATING - the window is a special order size (it was clearance years ago when we bought it) so of course - between seeing RED and being so upset, we are seeing  $$$$$$  

Of course - true to form, he apologizes.  And, I wonder how in the WORLD does God forgive me - when I sin, and apologize, and sin, and apologize, and sin, and.... over and over and over.  

On a side note - big brother Joseph was AMAZING in talking to Samuel.  My favorite part of all that - Joseph said "Samuel. You and I are a LOT alike. We are both very stubborn." 
(I'd like to end there - but I'll respect Joseph and continue)  "We can use that stubborn spirit for bad stuff, or we can choose to use it for good!  Being determined can be a blessing - so make good choices."